Monday, January 18, 2021

Nagarjuna's Tetralemma and Tientai's Three Truths slightly revised.

Nagarjuna's Tetralemma can be understood through the concept of latency, manifestation, and Tientai the Great's Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds and Three Truth Doctrine

1). P; that is being...A single World (being or phenomena) manifestation is equivalent to Tientai's Truth of Temporary Existence (body)
2). not P; that is not being...Nine Worlds (being or phenomena) not manifest (latent) is equivalent to Tientai's Truth of Non-substantiality (mind)
3). P and not P; that is being and that is not being...A single World (or phenomena) manifest and Nine Worlds not manifest is equivalent to both Tientai's temporary existence and non-substantiality or relative understanding of mind and body.
4). not (P or not P); that is not being or not not being... not manifest or not latent (not not being) is a near equivalent to Tientai's Truth of the Middle Way (though not actually temporarily manifest or not actually non-substantial, exhibiting characteristics of both.) This is the actual reality of phenomena (mind or nature and body)

Therefore, contrary to the assertions to most Tibetans and Madhyamaka adherents, Nagarjuna's did postulate Three Truths (not merely Two Truths) in his Tetralemma but they differ slightly from Tientai's "unification of the Three Truths".

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